The University of Illinois Laboratory High School, also known as Uni High or just Uni, was established in 1921 and is a laboratory school located on the engineering section of the University of Illinois campus in Urbana, Illinois. Its enrolls about 300 students, spanning five years (the traditional grades 9–12, preceded by a combined 7th-8th grade year known as the "subfreshman" year). The school's alumni include three Nobel laureates and a Pulitzer Prize winner. In 2022, Uni High was named as a top-15 public school in Illinois by Niche and the following year rose to a top-15 public school in the nation. In 2006 and 2008, it was recognized as a "public elite" school by Newsweek because of its students' high scores on the SAT. Before the change in the SAT's format in 2016, the average SAT score was 2045, and now varies from 1400 to 1600. As of 2019, the average SAT was a 1470. The average ACT score is a 32.
Funding and relationship to the University of Illinois
Uni is funded through the statewide per-pupil distribution financed in the Illinois state budget, the University of Illinois Provost's office, and donations by alumni and parents of current students. Uni does not receive any property tax revenue due to enrollment being competitive vs. dependent upon residency in a particular district.
For many years, the school was funded by the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign as an institution to experiment with educational curricula and to teach university students majoring in education. The University of Illinois withdrew most of its support in the early 1980s. The "laboratory" aspect persists in certain classes. An experimental math course on <subject needed> was taught in the early 2000s and teachers continue to experiment in small, creative, ways.
The relationship to the University provides a number of benefits to the students. Students get full access to the University's library system†. Students over the age of 15 with sufficiently high grades can enroll in courses at the University. Credit earned in this manner may then be applied to future study at the university level. Additionally, Kenney Gym, the University's former men's gymnasium, is used by Uni for physical education and by the volleyball and basketball teams.
† The high school library is a branch of the University library system and for this reason has been called "the largest high school library in the world."
In 2022, the school changed its colors to match those of its parent institution.
Admissions and academics
Students apply to enter Uni as part of the incoming "subfreshmen" class which, although composed of seventh and eighth grade aged students, completes a year at eighth grade level before continuing on to the ninth grade. Roughly 65 students are admitted each year, keeping the school's total enrollment near 320 students. Admission decisions are based on previous academic history, extracurriculars, teacher recommendations, a personal statement, and a timed writing sample. The school no longer requires scores on the Secondary School Admission Test as part of its admission process. Students may apply during their sixth or seventh grade years. Whether immediately after graduation, the vast majority of students go on to enter a four-year college or university, although some choose to defer a year to study abroad, volunteer, or work.
Extracurriculars
Uni has had numerous successes in interscholastic competitions, including competitive chess (administered by the Illinois High School Association) and academic competitions. Students also participate in many clubs through the school, both for fun and to give back to their community.
Chess
The school's chess team has won the IHSA's team chess tournament seven times (1978, 1979, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, and 2009) and has been runner-up three times (1976, 1980, 1989). They came in second in the US National Championship in 1978 on a tiebreak. Members of that team included Thomas Krause, Robert Sah, Mark Zvilius, Jonathan Atkin, and Steven Schran. The team was coached by David Sprenkle, a Uni alum and ranked chess master. Currently, the school has no competitive chess program.